Hospital Appoints New Recreation Director

Eileen D. Andreassi, MA, CTRS had been appointed Director of Recreational Therapy at Helen Hayes Hospital, according to Deborah Juarbe, OTR, Director of Professional Services.

Ms. Andreassi joins the physical rehabilitation hospital with over 20 years of experience in the field. At the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan she was a Recreational Therapy Specialist serving both inpatients and outpatients with neurological, orthopedic and other disabilities, before going on the manage all therapeutic services for the hospital’s spinal cord injury and orthopedic units. From there, she went on to William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan where she spearheaded the implementation of a three-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health. The initiative focused on community reintegration for children and adults with disabilities, enabling them to access sports and recreational activities and providing both one-on-one and group therapeutic services. An outcome of this project was the formation of the Tri-County Adaptive Sports Coalition. Ms. Andreassi also served as a Recreational Therapy Specialist at the Detroit Medical Center and has provided comprehensive community based recreation therapy services through her own private practice.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Ms. Andreassi received her masters in Recreational Therapy from New York University. She is an active member of the American Recreational Therapy Association and has presented extensively on issues related to recreational therapy for individuals with disabilities. Ms. Andreassi is a strong proponent of adaptive sports, including golf, kayaking, wheelchair basketball and skiing, among others.

A native of Rockland County, Ms. Andreassi has returned to the area to assume the position at Helen Hayes Hospital. She will oversee a staff of certified Recreational Therapy specialists who provide services to the hospital’s inpatients. In addition, she will be responsible for the hospital’s Wellness Center, aquatic therapy service, GolfAbility program and the department’s popular performing arts program.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Adreassi to Helen Hayes,” says Ms. Juarbe. “Her tremendous expertise with a broad range of Recreational Therapy services will serve our patients well. In addition, a professional of her caliber will be a tremendous resource to individuals of all abilities throughout our region.”

Helen Hayes Hospital is one of the nation’s largest hospitals dedicated exclusively to the provision of comprehensive specialty physical rehabilitation services.